From tennis courts to India’s largest ice skating rink

Raaja Bhasin

In the 1950s when phones and even access to these was scarce, people in Shimla found different ways of finding out if a skating session was on. The surest way was braving the cold bite of the winter air, peering out of the window and seeing if the red balloon-like pennant had been hoisted on the flagstaff by the municipal office. If that was not visible and your phone decided not to work, you developed your own system of gauging if a skating session was on. As he then lived in a house called ‘Bohemia’, on the other side of the town, a jar of olive oil was the index my father had when the phone line was down. If the normally free-flowing oil had clouded over and become viscous, the odds were that his long walk to the ice rink would be rewarded.  

The story of Shimla’s ice-skating club goes back to the early twentieth century when, with the onset of the winter, residents of the Blessington hotel would complain of the water in taps being frozen. Water thrown on the tennis courts, that adjoined the hotel, also left patches of ice. The idea of repeatedly pouring water over the bare ground and finding a complete sheet of ice began revealing its uses.  

Slowly, a group of skaters began using the ice-covered tennis courts. By 1920, a club had taken shape. In 1925, F. Beresford Harrop writing in “Thacker’s New Guide to Simla” noted: “The Simla Ice Skating Club becomes once more an active organisation. Members renew their subscription, wipe the grease from their long disused skates....When a sharp frost is expected the courts are flooded and a large canvas screen is thrown up to shield the water from the rays of the sun”. 

Its unique distinction of being the largest open-air skating rink, with naturally frozen ice, in this part of the world, is due to its location on a cold, sunless spot along Shimla’s northern slopes. To set the ice, water is allowed to seep into dry earth. Once the ground is saturated and the temperature drops, this sets into a thin layer. With repeated spraying, this sheet of ice grows thicker and thicker. After around five sprayings, some 15 centimetres of naturally frozen ice is obtained and the skaters are ready to go. The club that manages the rink originally had 30 members, who were all Europeans.  In 1946, a few Indian members were taken and they included Dr Sat Pal, Dr Mukund Lal, Jugal Khanna and Misri Chand. 

In the years that followed Independence, the club modified itself and expectedly, became more democratic in its functioning — but continued to remain the hub of Shimla’s winter activities. Then, as is now, the rink was completely dependent on the weather. A clear sky and low temperatures create the smooth, moisture and bubble free ice that a skater hopes for. There are normally two sessions every day — one in the morning and another in the evening; the evening ones are occasionally disrupted as a result of afternoon clouds that prevent the ice from forming. Regular skaters and visitors can take membership for the entire ‘season’, for half or for a fortnight. You can also skate for a single session. Skates are available on hire with the club. The staff of ‘mates’, who came from Garhwal, were experts in setting the ice and would assist the skaters in tying and untying their boots.  

The camaraderie formed in the ice rink often remains throughout one’s life and members become part of an extended family. The double-blade skates that were used by me before I had turned three came from family friends and when I outgrew them, they were passed on. And skates can become heirlooms and prized possessions. Bought in the 1950s, with blades of the finest Sheffield steel and boots made by Shimla’s well-known Chinese boot makers, M/s Ta Tung and Co., my father’s pair came to me and have moved on to my children — and they are still going strong.  

In 2020, the Simla Ice Skating Club turns a hundred. Its managing committee has planned special events to mark the centenary. The two regular fixtures — the carnival and the gymkhana are planned as grand occasions. We can expect a fancier display of fancy dresses and swifter racers. 

(The writer is an author, historian and journalist)

The club has had its very own bard in the shape of late Prof Madan Sharma, who rhymed on the beginner on ice:

My head was warm, my heart was warm 
I was rushing as a storm
One foot here, one foot there
 In whom I banged, I did 
not care 
Who banged in me, had 
his share
By the time I completed 
the round 
I found everyone lying 
on the ground.